firefighters

Firefighter responding to an active Wildfire in california wildifire by reading smoke signals in their BME apparatus

Reading Smoke Signals: How Firefighters Use Smoke Signals

One of the most important skills all firemen should possess is the ability to read smoke signals. The ability to read the smoke at any position within the company can help those responding to the incident make better tactical decisions. Smoke can help first responders determine the fire’s location, growth, toxicity, the direction of travel.

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firefighters diversity

How to Improve Diversity in Your Fire Department and Why It’s Important

Demographic trends indicate that women and minorities are the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. workforce. As of 2012, women accounted for nearly half of the workforce, while minorities made up 36 percent of the workforce. However, this growth is not reflected in the fire service industry.  According to the NFPA, women made up just over

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wildfires getting costlier

Three Reasons Why Firefighting is Getting Costlier

It turns out that 2017 was a banner year, and ultimately a tragic one, for the bottom line among the world’s insurance carriers. Unparalleled natural disasters around the world will result in more than $135 billion in claims and losses. Total property losses, after you factor in uninsured property, will exceed $330 million. Only 2011,

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volunteer firefighter challenges

Challenges for Volunteer Firefighters

Out of 27,192 fire departments that staff about 1,215,300 firefighting personnel, 32% were career firefighters, 56% were volunteer firefighters, and 12% were paid-per-call firefighters. The statistics compiled by the NFDR highlight a challenge faced by fire departments across the United States. Volunteer fire departments cover vast sections of the country that are not serviced by

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